Always Faithful Ch. 04.5

"Did that give you any ideas, any inspiration?"

"Good, very good. I am beginning to see something."

Mrs. Patron offered her thoughts. "You dance well together, confidently. He is a good dancer, isn't he LeeAnne?" Dan just listened to the women; he was starting to get excited about their portrait.

LF wanted another perspective. "I want to take a walk around the grounds so I can see you in another setting. After this drink."

LF walked apart from the others, often walking backward to watch the interaction. Dan always stayed in between the two women; mostly he held hands with Artsy, but took Mrs. Patron's hand too. LF could see he naturally assumed that male central role that she wanted so much to shake. As Dan and the two women passed in front of a light standard, LS felt the inspiration she had been seeking. "Stop! Stop there by the light pole."

She directed them; stand closer, now turn, apart, turn this way. Mrs. Patron tried to step away to give the artist her picture. "No, stay there! Take Dan's hand and one step out. Another step, there, pull his hand to you." LF looked; she moved around the scene she was creating. LF's mind saw something beyond the literal sight in front of her. She saw a cone of light shining on two heads with lower bodies indistinct. Mrs. Patron stood off to the side in fuzzy shadow, but she always observed and influenced the two heads. Dan reached to Mrs. Patron for something; was it support, confidence, inspiration? LF scanned her scene, turned back to the core image she built in her mind and found the completing element. The glow from the lamp formed a joint and a barrier that united but separated her two subjects. "I have it; we can go now."

Tuesday, LF called both Dan and Artsy; to both she gave the same message. They were to avoid one another, stay apart as much as possible. "No sexual contact at all, I want you both at a fever of desire when we meet again." LF worked with frenzy; after two weeks, her vision breathed life on canvas. Artsy had the gallery technician make a temporary installation in Mrs. Patron's home. Saturday evening they would gather for the unveiling. LF called Dan, "You bring champagne. We deserve something special. Get a champagne you don't normally drink. You will remember the brand whenever you see my work."

Dan went to his favorite wine store, he almost asked for Piper-Heidsieck until he recalled LF's request for something different. "A case of Taittinger Brut please, chilled." Dan didn't think, until he closed the trunk lid, Taittinger is Greg's brand; what, if anything, does that mean? Mrs. Patron was with her friend when Dan, Artsy and LF arrived. They drank a glass of wine before LF raised the question all were waiting for, "Are we ready?" Dan could tell the work was large, more so than he expected. LF pulled back the drape.

Dan gasped; Artsy stared intently. Dan knew he did not have the art sophistication to completely understand LF's intent. The portrait, certainly not portrait in the traditional sense, was abstract, yet real. It disturbed Dan, but struck his gut with its sense of reality. He could see himself; he could see Artsy. Even more compelling, Dan sensed a discordant togetherness. He reached to it, tentative but drawn. "Tell us about it", Artsy directed.

"It excites me; excites the artist in me. This is the start of a very good series. The two of you excite me. Together, you draw creativity from me." Artsy nodded understanding; Dan looked, blinked at the picture of he and Artsy on canvas, he was beginning to see beyond lines and color to their relationship. It took a while to grasp, but finally Dan saw something more than selves; he could see their relationship. Their portrait was of potential and limitations.

"Tell us what you see, Daniel." Mrs. Patron continued in her role as teacher, her question an examination.

Dan searched for the right words; he almost began to speak twice. "We are together above, but indistinct below. That slash across us is a demarcation. I have one of her breasts; she has part of me." Dan reached to a splash of vague at the edge, "Mrs. Patron?"

"Yes, your art sense is developing nicely."

"We have no gender; we are, you have, there is a word . . . ." All three women gathered close to Dan. "Transmuted is the only word I can think of, and I am sure that isn't really a word."

"The two of you are far more interesting as subjects than Laura. Laura is simple, sexual. Together, you have far more complexity." Silence deafened the room. Mrs. Patron poured another round of champagne. "Take your clothes off and make love, here in front of us. Artsy, attack him the way Laura would attack you if she were here. Use his sex; I want the next painting full in my mind tonight."

Through the fall and into early winter, Dan and Artsy modeled; LF painted. Mrs. Patron turned a sitting room into impromptu gallery and home for LF's portrait series. Eventually there were six paintings. All were thought provoking; some were frankly disturbing. By early December, both models and artist exhausted themselves and the subject matter. Mrs. Patron asked if she could keep them on display in her home through her holiday open house.

> > > - - < < <

Laura's Atlanta fashion show proved a smashing triumph for Business Lady, and for her law firm. Laura laughed to herself every time she thought of her real job that way; her law firm, as though she was a senior partner and not their secretary. Laura watched with pride once more when Greg registered them as Mr. and Mrs. Their law firm people, of course, accepted their status. Laura and Greg invited BL's president and Marketing VP to a private dinner one evening and they explained and introduced their relationship. Liaison finally had a chance to meet Laura's other man.

Greg asked one of the unattached lawyers to be Liaison's date for the evening; Laura told her friend to pack something suitable for a disco night. They ate a late, light dinner and danced into wee hours of morning at two different clubs; the last club mercifully only two blocks from their hotel. Laura danced mostly with Greg, and a few dances with Liaison's date. Once in each club, Greg found a couple of college age guys to take Laura on the floor for wild time dancing. At the last club, three youngsters were ready to follow them back to their hotel when they left.

Laura said goodnight to Liaison and her date at the bank of elevators. "Wait for the next one; that way I can say I don't know quite truthfully to any question asked." When she and Greg reached the seventeenth floor, the corridor leading to their room was clear. "Would you mind carrying my dress for me the rest of the way? I have been wearing it all night and my skin needs to breath. Greg very deliberately fumbled with the key card at their door.

"This is a My Darling Gets Screwed to the Bed night. Give me your panties." The little bit of now fragrant nylon fit neatly under the Do Not Disturb placard on the door knob.

Liaison pointed to them fifteen minutes later when she and her date walked past on the way to her room. Both smiled; they heard a cry through the door. "Do you want to do the same with mine?"

"I wonder if she took them off out here, or in the room?"

"I want a long lasting fuck when you screw me to the bed tonight, Baby. Let me suck you first to take the pressure off. Hang my head off the bed and fuck my mouth until you cum."

Greg laid his lady stretched flat with head hanging down. "Open wide cocksucker", he dick slapped Laura's cheeks and then stabbed cock down her throat. Tits served as hand grips; no woman he had ever met allowed cock the deep face fucking Laura craved. Greg fucked long, deep strokes into her throat and Laura sucked hard and fought to hold cock inside every time Greg pulled back to thrust once more. Laura couldn't scream when they came together, her mouth was full; Greg screamed for both.

"I love you, I love you, I love you; when you are ready, just take my ass tonight. Your Missus wants her Mister to take what he deserves."

"Let me open this little gateway just a bit and I will accept your wedding gift." Greg diddled with his fingers, rolled Laura to hands and knees, and knocked at the rear door to her mansion. Laura relaxed and used both hands to pull her entrance wide. Greg thrust hard and took her breath away. "Fuck, Yes, Fuck Me, Fuck my Ass."

"I saw your personal note to housekeeping along with your do not disturb sign. It sounded like you were having fun so we decided not to knock." Laura gave a sheepish grin but then, "Did we give you any ideas? It seemed to work for us."

"Well yes, it worked for us too."

"Good girl."

Liaison declined Laura's invitation to take some vacation time and visit with her and Greg for a week following the Atlanta convention. She did confide that her dinner date suggested something similar, and his request was tempting. "His recovery time takes a little longer than my SO, but his endurance the first time is better and he is more creative. Girlfriend, he is definitely in the GIB category."

"Maybe another time then."

"Count on it; we can talk about it next time you're at work out my way." Laura and Greg returned home to their own brand of domestic bliss.

Reality in the form of the annual calendar intruded on Laura's idyllic trial marriage to Greg. She only rarely thought of Dan these past months, and even less of Laura and Dan as married couple. They did get together twice on issues that required joint signatures, and they did have a few phone conversations. Those few contacts were the sum extent of their interaction since Laura announced her intention to live with Greg, as Mrs. Greg, until year's end. Both Laura and Dan had families that just would not understand the status of their marriage at this point. Laura, Dan and the families had long standing Thanksgiving holiday schedules together. A social dilemma required resolution.

The fall holiday season found all parties involved in this complex social group trying to fit aspirations for this year into traditions from prior years. Greg's situation was simple; he had no prior history and no strong family tradition. His thought turned to a romantic ski trip long weekend for Thanksgiving. He made tentative reservations for a lodge in Stowe; he intended to surprise Laura with his plan.

Dan faced the holiday situation first. While Laura was busy with final plans for her Atlanta triumph, Dan contemplated the upcoming holiday season. Thanksgiving he dealt with sending short, handwritten, notes to both sets of parents. He explained that he and Laura were going through some changes in relationship, and that they might not be home for family Thanksgiving celebrations this year. Recalling last year's New Year celebration with Artsy, Dan decided that was what he wanted this year too. He was ready to build new traditions. He decided to somehow include his art community friends, certainly Mrs. Patron, also his secretary, this year.

Conflict about the holidays clouded Laura's mood when she returned from Atlanta. Two more months remained of her commitment to Greg, her commitment to herself, and to them as a couple. The final two months could be eat, drink and be happy, party and enjoy while it lasts; the last two months could be a capstone to her affair. She could say goodbye to Greg and return to Dan. Her final two months as Mrs. Greg could actually be the first two months of a permanent, possibly even official, Mrs. Greg. Can my life possibly stay as is, maintain the status quo? I really need time by myself to think through the future. The future of Laura, Dan and Greg is my next San Francisco assignment. Until then, decisions about the holidays loomed as current reality for Laura.

"Greg, Baby, I really need to talk over some holiday plans with Dan. Do I have permission to have dinner some night soon to work things out?"

"My wife wants to have a dinner date with her ex husband; is that what I'm hearing?" Laura gave a quiet chuckle, but her laugh had a grim quality she tried to mask. "Laura, I have been thinking of a ski lodge in Stowe for Thanksgiving; can we work that in to our holiday plans?"

"Do you want to break my leg, or even worse, my neck?"

"It will be fun, and I will nurse you back to full health if you do break something." They talked about skiing, something Laura had only seen on television, for almost an hour. Laura could feel herself snuggled in front of a fireplace with snow. After an hour, Laura took Greg's hand and led him to their bedroom to light their own special fire. Neither had their question answered.